Fitness, Food, Wine & Travel

Latest

Zinfest at Lodi Lake on May 19th!

The ZinFest Wine Festival will be held on Saturday, May 19th, 2012 from 12 noon-5:00 pm at Lodi Lake Park.

Sip, swirl and savor from a selection of 250 handcrafted wines from 50 Lodi wineries. Passionate winemakers and winery representatives welcome guests, offering practical knowledge and sharing their delicious wines. Enjoy local provisions, learn some new tips at the ZinFest Wine and Cooking Schools, or relax along the beautiful Mokelumne River to an eclectic mix of live music. Guests can peruse merchandise from regional vendors and take home a commemorative bottle of custom blended Old Vine Zinfandel from the ZinFest Wine Shoppe. There is no better way to celebrate the fantastic wines of Lodi Wine Country! Tickets include a ZinFest wine glass, wine tasting, participation in seminars and entertainment. Festivities are held from 12 noon – 5 pm.

Tickets are $45 in advance, $55 at the gate and are available for purchase after March 12th. You can click here to purchase tickets.

Must be 21 years of age to attend. As a friendly reminder, even great wines should be enjoyed in moderation. Designated drivers are strongly encouraged. Designated driver tickets are available for $10 each.

ZinFest takes place at Lodi Lake Park, located at 1101-1301 W. Turner Road in Lodi, California. Click here for directions and parking information.

The Wine Savor the bounty of the Lodi Appellation’s array of varietals- from Albarino to Zinfandel. With 250 Lodi wines to taste from, wine novices and aficionados are sure to find a new favorite!

The Food Indulge in regional cuisine from the best of San Joaquin County’s gourmet food purveyors. A selection of items will be available for purchase from each vendor, reasonably priced under $10.

Entertainment Lounge along the Mokelumne River or get up and groove to an assorted mix of live entertainment. Enjoy live bands, strolling entertainers and the ZinFest Piano Bar – where you can purchase a glass of wine, request songs and sing along with familiar tunes!

Merchants

Browse from a collection of artisan merchants as they display one-of-a-kind merchandise. Take a piece of wine country home with you, whether it’s local olive oil or reclaimed wine barrel furniture.

ZinFest Cooking School From regional celebrity chefs to local, award winning culinary experts, ZinFest takes great pride in creating fun and informative cooking classes for event guests. One winery is featured in each class, partnering winemaker with chef, for an engaging tasting and educational experience. Discover a new favorite dish and become the star of your next dinner party. The ZinFest Cooking School is open to all guests, with new demonstrations taking place each hour.

ZinFest Wine School Trendsetters and legends unite in the ZinFest Wine School. Listen as local experts and guest speakers engage in topics from “Blending your own Zinfandel,” to what cheese pairs perfectly with Lodi wines, and much more… Sip, savor and swirl your way through the afternoon. The ZinFest Wine School is open to all guests with new demonstrations taking place each hour.

For more information on the event, including events on Friday, May 18th and Sunday, May 20th, click here!

Posted by  |  May 13, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mother’s Day at Casque Wines

I just returned from seeing my mom this past weekend when I flew to Cincinnati to run the Flying Pig Half Marathon. If she were here this weekend, I would certainly bring her up to Loomis for their Mother’s Day Wine and Jazz Lunch. Here are the details:

Ticket Price: $20.00 per person Tickets must be purchased in advance and select your Seating Option. Purchase tickets for the time you expect to come to ensure seating availability. (It will also help if you can also identify your choice of entrees in advance.)

Seating 1 (11:00 am – 1:00 pm) Make Reservation for 1st Seating

Seating 2 (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm) Make Reservation for 2nd Seating

They are open for normal wine tasting on this day from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, so if you don’t participate in the lunch, you are also welcome to enjoy the jazz music.

Spend the day wine tasting on the Placer County Wine Trail or just plan for a Mom moment at the winery with a catered lunch by one of the region’s top restaurants, Cafe Zorro, serving out of their new catering location called the Garage Gourmet.  This location is just two doors away from Casque Wines so you can be assured the food will be nice a fresh straight out of the kitchen.

You’ll be able to chose from the following options:

  1. Grilled Salmon Salad: Grilled king salmon over a salad of field greens, arugula, delta aparagus, nuskies bacon, cherry tomatoes, leeks and Casque Wines Vermentino vinaigrette, or
  2. Pulled Brisket Sandwich: Sterling silver brisket slow cooked for 14 hours with spicy red cabbage slaw, crispy shallots and Casque Wines Calotte (red blend) BBQ sauce. Served with heirloom, fingerling potato salad, or
  3. Greek Style Quiche: Farm fresh eggs, feta cheese, bloomsdale spinach, artichoke hearts, grilled squash, Kalamata olives in a buttery crust. Served with organic frisée salad with a cucumber and mint vinaigrette.

Your lunch will include:

  • your choice of entree
  • a drink ticket for complimentary tasting or a glass of wine.
  • 10% off of any wine purchased by the glass or by the bottle for consumption on site or for take away. (Adrian Wine Club members will receive an additional 20% wine club discount.)

Tickets are $20 per person and must be purchased IN ADVANCE on-line, at the winery, or at Cafe Zorro.

LOCATION: 3273 Swetzer Road, Loomis, CA  95650

 

Posted by  |  May 9, 2012 | Categories: Casque Wines, loomis, Uncategorized, wine | Leave a comment

Learn “Wine 101” with Rick Kushman at Lava Cap Winery on May 12th

Lava Cap Winery presents Wine 101 with Rick Kushman

Rick Kushman, co-author of “A Moveable Thirst” will feature his seminar “Why Wine is More Fun Than People Make it Seem” on Saturday, May 12, 2012 1:30-3pm at Lava Cap Winery in Placerville.

During the class, Kushman, wine and food writer and educator (you have seen his writing in the latest Sactown Magazine), will cover how to get more out of a wine country experience and out of drinking wine. He’ll give tips on tasting–which attendees can put to use on sight with Lava Cap wines. Other topics in the class include success for grape growing and winemaking, and why any of that matters to you. He’ll also decode some of the more annoying wine speak and offer pointers on how not to be a wine snob, even accidentally.

To purchase tickets, click here.

For more information, you can visit the Lava Cap website. You can like Lava Cap Winery on Facebook here, and follow them on twitter here.

Posted by  |  April 30, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Whole Foods Market Presents a Live Screening of “The Apple Pushers” in SF Apr. 22nd, Earth Day

Whole Foods Market, America’s healthiest grocery store, is taking its annual Do Something Reel Film Festival online this year. The film festival is an ongoing collection of provocative films about food and environmental issues that can be purchased online at www.dosomethingreel.com and streamed for a limited time.

Whole Foods Market will stream a different film each month with proceeds helping to fund the 2012 Whole Foods Market/AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Festival filmmaker grants.

The festival opens April 22, with a live screening of “The Apple Pushers,” followed by a panel discussion with the film’s writer and director, Mary Mazzio; executive producer, Laurie Tisch; and celebrity chef, food policy advocate and founder of Wholesome Wave, Michel Nischan. Debi Mazar, “Entourage” and Cooking Channel’s “Extra Virgin” star, will host the discussion. The event will take place at Alamo Drafthouse’s Slaughter Lane Theater in Whole Foods Market’s hometown of Austin. Additionally, theaters in Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh and San Francisco will host simultaneous screenings and will stream the panel discussion. The panel discussion will also be live streamed for free to online viewers. “The Apple Pushers” can be viewed online from April 22-30.

“The Apple Pushers,” narrated by Academy Award nominee Edward Norton, and underwritten by the Laurie M. Tisch IlluminationFund, follows five immigrant street-cart vendors who are offering fruits and vegetables in New York neighborhoods where fresh produce isn’t widely available. The vendors, who take part in a unique urban experiment called The NYC Green Cart Initiative, personify what it means to be an American entrepreneur, and their stories shed new light on the nation’s food crisis and skyrocketing obesity rates.

“The film chronicles first-generation immigrant micro-entrepreneurs who are infusing low income communities with fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Mazzio. “Whole Foods Market’s emphasis on providing access to healthy and nutritious foods makes them an ideal partner in helping us to expand the message of the film.”

Each month the festival will showcase a different film online that will be available for purchase (prices will vary by film; one viewing per purchase). The films slated through August are:

  • “Watershed” – Directed by Mark Decena, executive produced by Robert Redford and produced by his son, James Redford, the film follows Rocky Mountain National Park fly fishing guide, Jeff Ehlert, and six others living and working in the Colorado River basin. The film illustrates the river’s struggle to support thirty million people across the western U.S. and Mexico as the peace-keeping agreement known as the Colorado River Pact is reaching its limits. (May)
  • “Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?”– A profound, alternative look at the bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, award-winning director of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John.” On a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, the film weaves together a story of the heart-felt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world and uncovers the long-term causes that could create one of our most urgent food crises. (June)
  • Ian Cheney Retrospective: “King Corn” and “Truck Farm” – Each of the films Cheney has created or co-created spotlights an important environmental or food issue, from mobile gardens to the subsidized crops fueling our fast-food nation. Cheney was last year’s Whole Foods Market and AFI-Silverdocs grant recipient for his new work-in-progress, “Bluespace.” (July)
  • “Lunch Line” – Co-directed by Ernie Park and Michael Graziano, this film offers a fresh perspective on the politics of food and child-nutrition through an examination of the surprising past, uncertain present, and possible future of the National School Lunch Program.  The film reframes the school lunch debate through archival footage, expert interviews, and the uplifting story of six kids from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago who set out to fix school lunches — and end up at the White House. (August)

“Taking this year’s Do Something Reel Film Festival online provides an opportunity for audiences everywhere to connect with the films and their thought-provoking issues,” said Walter Robb, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market. “Such connection and exploration can be the starting place for real change; it helps us all think about how our everyday decisions and purchasing power can make a difference.”

For the second time, the festival’s proceeds will help fund two $25,000 AFI Silverdocs grants for filmmakers in the green genre. Applications are available at www.dosomethingreel.com  from March 21 to May 4.

Whole Foods Market’s technology partner NowLive, a production and streaming solution for professional live and on-demand events such as red carpets, cast chats,concerts and original productions will power the live chat as well as the film releases online.  The purchase process takes seconds, and featured films can be accessed through most web browsers, SmartTVs, phones and tablets.

Additional video, behind-the-scenes talks with filmmakers, suggested questions for home viewings and other materials will be available at no cost at www.dosomethingreel.com.

The festival is presented in association with Applegate Organic & Natural Meats, Earthbound Farm Organic and Siggi’s Cultured Dairy Products. For additional information, a complete schedule of events, and details about the grant program, please visit www.dosomethingreel.com.

To purchase tickets online to the festival, you can go here.

Posted by  |  April 17, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Greek-Style Lamb

Presented by The Running Bum…

Today’s recipe for Greek-style lamb was written by the BF aka the Running Bum, and enjoyed by the two of us last weekend at Easter dinner in Incline Village. The amount of lamb RB prepared was easily enough for 4-5 people, and the portion of meat that I brought home (1.5 pounds or so) lasted me four nights (used cold as one of my many salad toppings).

Cavegrrl (CG): For this recipe, what cut are we looking for from the butcher?

Running Bum (RB): Well, the lamb is a boned fresh leg of lamb, normally about 7 lbs after they remove the bone…lamb is in season right now, and Taylor’s [Market, in Sacramento] has all cuts available.

CG: Cool, so how do we prepare the meat?

RB: I rub the whole thing with extra virgin olive oil so a small amount of sea salt will stick to it.  After it’s lightly salted, I pour a little bit of lemon juice over it.  Then I completely encrust the outside with coarsely minced garlic and organic oregano, or a reasonable facsimile.  I like it so that about all you can see is garlic and oregano, and not the meat. 🙂

In the case of something huge and wrapped in twine, I tilt the whole thing upright in a bag and pour about a ½ cup each of additional olive oil and lemon juice down the center of the roast and also let a small amount dribble along the outside.  Then I leave it stationary in the bag in the refrigerator for about 15 to 25 hours.  About 3 hours before I’m going to start cooking it, I take the bag and its contents and shake it and turn it about every 45 minutes, making sure the bag is securely sealed.  This really does the job of completely saturating and marinating the lamb.  Pre-heat the oven [to] 250 degrees [when you are almost ready to cook the meat and before you garnish it in the roasting pan.]

RB: Garnish with freshly cut oregano, if you’ve got access to it.

RB:  Cook it (6-8 lbs.) for two hours and then finish an additional 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  This will yield perfectly medium rare meat.  For medium, add 20 minutes at the original 250 degrees and finish with the aforementioned 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  For rare, cook the initial 250 degree stage for 1:40, and then add the hotter 30 minutes at the end.  Time everything precisely, and don’t open the oven or turn the meat while it’s cooking, and it’ll turn out perfect.

CG: Ah, very nice. Let’s not forget to allow plenty of resting time after you remove the meat from the oven. The last thing you want is for all the juices to seep out. I think we waited about ten minutes before slicing. If this seems like a long time to wait, you can occupy yourself by plating up the other sides you are going to eat during the meal. Also, make sure you cut the meat on a surface that will retain the blood/juices or else your counter will be a big mess. 🙂

CG: As you can see, The Running Bum knows how to cook lamb to perfection! Thanks for joining cavegrrl.com today.

RB: Ah, I’m so glad you liked it.  That’s the ultimate compliment. 🙂

Here’s a picture of us taken at Autorama last month. I added this photo because I wanted you all to get a peek of the author. The couple that “Paleos” together, stays together. 🙂

 

Posted by  |  April 14, 2012 | Categories: Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Patrick Mulvaney Cooks for Heart Healthy Eating Event on April 19th, 4:30-7:30pm

Heart Healthy Eating with Patrick Mulvaney (A cooking demonstration) will be held on Thursday, April 19 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Mulvaney’s Building and Loan: 1215 19th Street, Sacramento.

We all know that healthy eating makes for a healthier heart. But who knew it could be so much fun? Join Mercy’s Heart Shaped Community for a delectable women’s event hosted at award-winning Mulvaney’s Building and Loan.

Sample healthy bites and beverages that infuse seasonal, local ingredients, and learn how to incorporate healthy, delicious choices into your diet with Mercy’s nutritionist, Marilyn Gee, RD. Also, be entered to win fabulous prizes, including dinner for two courtesy of Mulvaney’s and gift certificates from Elements Therapeutic Massage Studio .

Space is limited. Register online by April 12 at CareBeginsWithMe.org, or call 916.733.6289.

Tickets are $45 in advance or$40 for Care Begins with Me members.

Proceeds benefit Mercy’s Heart Shaped Community, a movement to motivate, inspire and educate women about heart health.

Mercy Heart & Vascular Institute of Greater Sacramento

You can like Mulvaney’s B and L on Facebook here and Mercy Dignity Health here.

Posted by  |  April 12, 2012 | Categories: events, health, Mercy Care Begins with Me | Leave a comment

Sweet Potatoes with Dukkah

This is another side dish we had during our Easter feast over the weekend. It’s just potatoes sautéed in coconut oil (Tropical Traditions is the best!) and sprinkled with a nut and spice blend called dukkah.

If you missed the recipe before, allow me to introduce you to dukkah… the nut and spice blend that is to meat and vegetables as sprinkles are to ice cream. A magical little topping that makes everything taste irresistible. 🙂 Below is how to make enough for this recipe and also enough to store in your cabinet and use on other things like fish or sautéed vegetables.

Dukkah
You can modify/change-up these ingredients to your liking:

1/4 cup ground coriander
5 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons dried mint leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Nuts:
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup raw pistachio nuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup cashews

It’s easiest ( I think) to roast all the nuts in the oven first, until they are golden brown. I do this on a sheet pan at 350° until they turn color. Be sure to watch closely, they will burn fast.
While the nuts are toasting in the oven, toast the herbs, spices, and seeds until they are brown/toasty/aromatic. Allow each of them to cool completely.

Place the nuts and seeds, along with the mint and salt, into a food processor and pulse into a coarse consistency.

This is the finished product…
Now that you have your spice blend, you will want to slice the potatoes into disc shapes… thin enough so that they will cook through without taking too long (see picture above). A good tip is to microwave them for a minute or so to get a jump-start on their cooking.
Next, heat up some coconut oil in a frying pan/skillet and put the potato slices in (don’t stack them up… just cook them one layer at a time). Pan fry them until tender and sprinkle them with the dukkah. Use as much or as little as you like. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until they are fork tender.
When you plate the potatoes, you can sprinkle them with a little more dukkah as a garnish if you desire.

Posted by  |  April 12, 2012 | Categories: coconut oil, Easter, paleo, primal, Recipes, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Paleo Recipe: Gingersnap Crusted Ham

I’d like to start this post with a big thank you to Tropical Traditions. They sent me a huge jar of coconut oil to try out in my Paleo recipes. I ended up using it in the Paleo Gingersnaps that I used to crumble up and coat the ham below. Here’s a picture of their product. It’s not only good in cooking (use it in the place of –and in the same ratio as–any butter or oil), but excellent as a moisturizer!


So look at the crusty beast below! Can you believe it is gluten free? 🙂 This Gingersnap Crusted Ham was a “side” for our Paleo Easter Meal. I snagged the idea for it from the Alton Brown recipe I first made years ago.

What You Will Need:

One 2 pound”City” Ham (I used an Uncured, Nitrate Free, Hormone Free, Vegetarian Fed Ham)
You will find that 2 pounds of ham is actually only about 1/4 of a normal sized ham. 🙂

3/4 Cup Dijon Mustard

1/2 Cup Maker’s Mark Bourbon (in a spray bottle)

2 Cups Paleo Gingersnap Crumbs (To get the crumbs, you have to make the gingersnaps themselves.)

Paleo Gingersnaps
1.5 cups Blanched Almond Flour
1 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 Tbs fresh ginger or ginger paste

1 omega 3 Egg
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 cup molasses

1/4 cup Coconut Oil (Tropical Traditions for best results!!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients (including lemon zest).
In a small mixing bowl beat eggs, honey, molasses, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer.
Pour wet ingredients into dry and beat with hand mixer until combined.
Add coconut oil into batter, and continue to blend until combined.
Press the dough out flat on a parchment lined baking sheet, about a tablespoon in size. Bake cookies for 15 minutes at 375.

Let cool completely then break the cookie into crumbs and set aside.

Procedure:

1. Place the ham in a glass baking dish and paint the dijon mustard on it with a pastry brush.

2. Then take the gingersnap crumbs and coat the ham until it is completely covered in crumbs.

3. Spray the ham with the bourbon to seal the crumb coating.

4. Bake the ham in the oven at 350° for about 10 mins, then take out the ham and lightly spritz the it with more bourbon. Return the ham to the oven and bake it until the crust is golden brown, or if you are like me, you can get the crust a little more brown than that. Let rest about 5-10 mins and then carve to serve.

Mmmm….HAMMALICIOUS!

Posted by  |  April 10, 2012 | Categories: almonds, coconut oil, Easter, food, gluten-free, paleo, primal, Recipes | 2 Comments

Leftover Easter Eggs? Make Hard Boiled Eggs with Avocado, Cumin and Curry

Here’s a great recipe to use all those leftover Easter eggs!
It’s one of the many great dishes the BF and I enjoyed this weekend in Tahoe. We ate a completely Paleo Easter dinner on Saturday evening, and day by day I will be sharing everything we had and how to make it!

Hard Boiled Eggs with Avocado, Cumin and Curry

Ingredients:
6 organic cage free eggs
1 avocado
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry
1 tsp garlic pureé
pinch of salt to taste
optional: fresh black pepper on top
1-2 beets

To prepare the beets, cut them into cubes and boil them until they are tender. They will slip out of their outer skins much easier after they cook. Cut into little “diamond” shapes and set them aside.

Hard boil the eggs and peel them out of their shells. Cut them in half and scoop out the yolks into a small bowl. Cut half an avocado and mash it together with the yolks in the bowl. Add the spices and garlic puree and the salt to taste. Spoon the mixture back into the egg white halves. Top with cracked pepper.

Garnish the finished eggs with the beet diamonds.

Tomorrow I will show you how I made a Gingersnap crusted ham Paleo style!

Posted by  |  April 9, 2012 | Categories: Easter, leftovers, paleo, primal, Recipes | Leave a comment

Paleo Dining: Speak up! Ask questions! Take charge!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Dining out can be a little tricky on the Paleo diet. Standard restaurant menus are a gauntlet of gluten, sugar, and dairy laden dishes, not to mention the cheap seed oils that are used to prepare them.

The above slide show is from a restaurant at which my Paleo partner and I dined called Coyote Bar & Grill.

In the title I say, “Speak up!” because in order to stick to the principles of a gluten-free, sugar-free diet, you are often times going to find yourself in need of certain menu substitutions to make restaurant meals work best for you. And THAT IS OK! You are the customer, and you are paying for your meal. You should enjoy it and not fret about what the server or the chef will think of you if you ask for something special.

Of course, substitutions and modifications might not work so much in a chain restaurant (especially fast food) because food is not made to order), but typically most restaurants are glad to accommodate a customer with special dietary needs. Especially if they ever want to see that customer ever again.

When we dined at Coyote, we were very hungry from running in the Carlsbad 5000 5K race. Directly after the race, my boyfriend had conquered a half chicken at Pollos Maria, but it was 4 hours later, and his appetite had come back with a vengeance. And I was ready to eat, too, after running harder than I ever have in my entire life.

For our appetizer, we ordered the “Guacamole Especial”, which on the menu is listed as “homemade guac, cheese, salsa fresca, tortilla chips”. All I had to do was ask if they could substitute some sort of raw vegetable for the tortilla chips, and please leave off the cheese. They were very agreeable and the BF and I were able to enjoy a perfectly Paleo prelude to our entrees. 🙂

For my main course, I ordered the Grilled Seafood Salad: Grilled scallops, prawns, fresh fish, mixed greens, Feta cheese, tomato, baby corn & Lemon-Cilantro Vinaigrette. To make it Paleo, all I had to do was ask the server to leave off the dressing, and I picked around the cheese and the baby corn. Everything else was perfect!

BF ordered the Grilled Salmon and asked for double grilled vegetables instead of the wild rice. The dinner also came with a mixed greens salad. We also ordered 4 shrimp skewers ala carte. After my salad, I could only eat one of them. I also wanted to note that instead of dressing, I often mix in guacamole into my greens. That way I avoid sugars and soy oil blends (often GMOs) that are notorious ingredients in salad dressings (even house made ones).

So, remember when you go out to eat, you’re in the driver’s seat. You can choose where to go and several details about your meal (in many cases down to how it is prepared). Don’t worry about being a pain if you ask for something that’s not exactly spelled out on the menu. Ask how things are prepared and stay away from adjectives like “breaded, fried”. Words such as “grilled, raw, steamed” are your new best friends!

Happy dining to all my Paleo friends out there!

PS: If you have any Paleo/Primal dining tips/tricks please feel free to share them below! 🙂

Posted by  |  April 6, 2012 | Categories: carlsbad, gluten-free, paleo, primal, restaurant, running, seafood, tourism, travel, wine | Tags: | Leave a comment